The DeFeet ArmSkins are a medium weight arm warmer, available in CoolMax or Wool.  The hangtag with the Wool model I am testing indicates they are 80% Merino Wool, 19% Nylon, and 1% Lycra.  The finely knit fabric has a stretchy feel, similar to wool socks, and is in the form of a simple tube that is slightly wider at the top and narrows toward the bottom.  The "No-Vertical Seam Design" is patented, according to DeFeet.

A more loosely woven cuff at the bottom fits my wrist more tightly and is about 3 in (7.5 cm) long and 6.5 in (16.5 cm) in circumference.  The top of the ArmSkin has a rib knit section approximately 0.5 in (1.5 cm) long that rolls down upon itself, which DeFeet calls "The Securl rolltop".  The hangtag indicates this top helps the ArmSkins stay in place, as does the "Stayfast cuff".

The Charcoal color is, as I expected, a very dark grey.  DeFeet's logo is knit into the fabric in medium grey on the cuff and about a quarter of the way down from the top.  The fabric is supposed to be wind resistant and breathable, as well as having properties to wick moisture away from the body.

The ArmSkins are available in two sizes - Small/Medium, which fits those under 5'9" and 160 lb (1.75 m and 73 kg) or Large/Extra Large, which fits those over 5'9" and 160 lb (1.75 m and 73 kg). 

Laundering instructions on the hangtag indicate to machine wash in cold water, tumble dry on low heat, and not to use chlorine bleach.  There are no tags or labels (other than the knitted logos) on the ArmSkins themselves.

Trying them on:

Although I am under 5'9", I chose the larger size due to my weight and having disliked the way tight arm warmers fit in the past.  I am very satisfied with the way they fit.  I could pull them on over a long sleeve cotton T-shirt without them feeling too tight, yet they still feel fitted enough for maximum warmth when I wear them on my bare arm.  They are a little long, as I expected they would be due to my size choice, however this gives me the option of pulling them down over my hands a bit for warmth, so I look at it as a positive.

Preliminary Impressions:

So far I like the soft texture and fitted, but not overly tight, feel of the ArmSkins.  They can be rolled up to around 2.5 x 4.5 in (6.5 x 11.5 cm), so they should take up little room in my pack.

This concludes my Initial Report.

Field Report - May 27, 2008

Field Conditions:

Over the last two months, I have worn the DeFeet ArmSkins on four short dayhikes of around 3 mi (5 km) in western West Virginia in temperatures around 30 F to 50 F  (-1 to 10 C).  I also took them along in my pack on a longer dayhike of about 11 mi (18 km) in the Damascus, Virginia area.  Due to wearing a rain jacket during the entire hike to cope with a drizzly rain, and with temperatures mostly in the 50-60 F range, I stayed amply warm with only a base layer and the rain jacket, and did not wear the ArmSkins.  It was however nice to know that extra warmth was there in my pack in case I needed it, and the ArmSkins took up only a little space and added only a small amount of weight to my pack.

My most significant use of the ArmSkins was during a 3-day, 2-night backpacking trip in the Canaan Mountain area of the Monongahela National Forest in eastern West Virginia, covering around 27 mi (43.5 km).  Conditions ran the gamut on this trip.  The first day was cool, with temperatures in the 50 - 60 F (10-16 C) range, dropping to just above freezing (around 33 F/1 C) the first night.  The second day was warmer, with night temperatures only falling to around 52 F (11 C).  The trail was a difficult mixture of roots, rocks, and mud bogs, with a few small stretches of gravel forest roads.

Use and Findings So Far:

Most of the time I have worn the ArmSkins over a light long sleeved wool shirt.  On the short dayhikes, I found the ArmSkins and the Warmfront chest warmer that I am also testing were ample to keep me warm while hiking in temperatures down to around 40 F (4 C).  If it was colder, I found that I needed to add a light jacket such as a windshirt or rain jacket to feel comfortable down to around 30 F (-1 C).  The ArmSkins felt comfortable to wear, and did a great job providing warmth any time my arms felt cool.  They also deflected wind very well.  One thing I found I really liked during the dayhikes is that as I warmed up on uphill or sunny stretches, I could push the ArmSkins down around my wrists to cool my upper arms off.  Then if it got cooler (or I wasn't working as hard on downhill stretches) I could simply pull them back up.  If it got really warm and I did not expect cooler conditions ahead, I could completely remove them and easily stow them in a cargo pants pocket, a fanny pack, or a day pack.

During the Canaan Mountain trip I was able to fully experience the versatility of the ArmSkins.  As temperatures cooled on the first evening, I pulled a wool zip-T neck shirt over the tank top I wore while hiking, then pulled the ArmSkins over the wool shirt.  As it got cooler yet, I added a nylon button up shirt and the Warmfront chest warmer.  Since the group I was with had started a campfire, I was hesitant to wear my down jacket near the fire and risk a hole from a popping ember, so I was happy that this upper layer combination was enough to keep me warm by the campfire.  Once I retired to my hammock, I added my down jacket over top, and combined with wool leggings, light synthetic insulated pants, and a summer weight quilt I managed to keep mostly warm even as the temperature dipped near freezing.  My arms were amply warm - it was my feet that were the problem.

The second day of the backpacking trip, I found the ArmSkins were very welcome to pull on during breaks, and easy to shed once I began walking again.  To the right is a photo of me wearing them over my wool shirt while enjoying a break from hiking.  I again wore them around camp during the evening and also slept with them on my arms, although on this warmer night I did not need to layer as many pieces.  I wore the tank top, the Warmfront chest warmer, the light wool top, and the ArmSkins and was toasty warm all night.

So far the ArmSkins are holding up well.  They have a couple of small 'picked' spots, but no holes or signs of major wear.  I have not yet had to launder them, but will soon be doing so and will report on the results of laundering in my Long Term Report.

I have found the best way to pull them on over a long sleeved shirt has been to grab the cuff of the shirt and hold it down with my thumb, while pulling the ArmSkins up with the opposite hand.  This way, the shirt underneath doesn't wrinkle or bunch up.  I can also pull a looser sleeved shirt (such as a nylon button up shirt) or a outer layer jacket easily over the ArmSkins.

Summary:

As an ultralight packer always looking to shed a few ounces from my pack, I am quite pleased with the versatility the ArmSkins provide at the minimal weight of 2.9 oz (82 g).  Since my arms and legs are usually where I feel the cold fastest, the ArmSkins provide a lot of comfort for little weight.  I've found them a great component of a light weight sleeping system, and with a few other light weight clothing items I have been able to stretch the temperature range of my light summer quilt down to around freezing.  I look forward to additional testing over the next couple of months and as temperature warm up, using them with a short sleeve shirt for cool mornings.